Please help with virt/ future deadwood carving on this Large privet.

I have a decent grasp on how I want this tree to look...foliage wise. But I have no clue with the carving. Could use some help with virts or suggestions. I am confident with my carving skills as long as I have an idea where I'm heading so.. intricate carving ideas would be appreciated if they add to the tree's appeal. Thank You!

Wow, I wish I could find a privet like that! All I ever see are broom sticks, shovel handles and fence posts.

Russell Coker wrote:

Wow, I wish I could find a privet like that! All I ever see are broom sticks, shovel handles and fence posts.

i can only say amen to that. I have seen privet yamadori that are way older and fatter than this one, but one like this is rather hard to find. It is the result of many good deeds the previous owner did to it, while maintaining his hedge ;-). Bless him ;-)
Rare to find a privet that actually allready looks like a tree in a yamadori. The potential is definitely there, and with this one you'll have no trouble getting the results you want. There's even potential in the branches that are allready there, you can readily start building those.

I have some ideas about the carving i would do, but i havent got good tools to make visuals. I would use the hollow at the bottom, extend it more, widen it more, deepen it, and pull it up right to the first hole in the trunk halfway. Than leave that, and start a new dead part abot it, connecting the second hole and that old scar from cutting off a big branch. Then maybe further up another part, newly carved. So in general picture it would look like its spiralling its way up, that would match the impression you have when watching the tree now, it looks like its spiralling a bit. But not really connected dead wood parts i described, so no one big dead connected part. The top shorten it down, leave a short dead top carved, but not too high. I think that would not fit a privet.this privet. To balance it (with that wide base) i would also use the dead part on the right offcourse and carve it that way so it would be in harmony with the rest of the carving i explained (also some hollowing out, make sure theres some drama in it).

sorry for not being able to provide the actual visual that goes along with this

Hello Gideon,

If it were my tree I would take it to a bonsai club or a workshop or some expert on deadwood carving and seek advice. I would carve it only with guidance from someone who would be present while doing it lest I get so excited that I am left with very little live tissue. There are brilliant examples of magnificent deadwood here in some threads. Have a look at Will Baddeley's work (https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t9765-will-baddeley-s-gallery?highlight=baddeley), especially on his elm and get an idea of what can be achieved by an expert. Good luck with your tree.

Adam

yves71277 wrote:

Russell Coker wrote:

Wow, I wish I could find a privet like that! All I ever see are broom sticks, shovel handles and fence posts.

i can only say amen to that. I have seen privet yamadori that are way older and fatter than this one, but one like this is rather hard to find. It is the result of many good deeds the previous owner did to it, while maintaining his hedge ;-). Bless him ;-)
Rare to find a privet that actually allready looks like a tree in a yamadori. The potential is definitely there, and with this one you'll have no trouble getting the results you want. There's even potential in the branches that are allready there, you can readily start building those.

I have some ideas about the carving i would do, but i havent got good tools to make visuals. I would use the hollow at the bottom, extend it more, widen it more, deepen it, and pull it up right to the first hole in the trunk halfway. Than leave that, and start a new dead part abot it, connecting the second hole and that old scar from cutting off a big branch. Then maybe further up another part, newly carved. So in general picture it would look like its spiralling its way up, that would match the impression you have when watching the tree now, it looks like its spiralling a bit. But not really connected dead wood parts i described, so no one big dead connected part. The top shorten it down, leave a short dead top carved, but not too high. I think that would not fit a privet.this privet. To balance it (with that wide base) i would also use the dead part on the right offcourse and carve it that way so it would be in harmony with the rest of the carving i explained (also some hollowing out, make sure theres some drama in it).

sorry for not being able to provide the actual visual that goes along with this

This actually wasn't from a hedge. Its actually a sucker growing from the roots of a really old hollowed out privet (probably around 100 years old). The root died out but the sucker had enough roots of its own to keep growing. I think that explains why it only has roots on 1 side.

I see the spiral you're talking about and tried to decipher what you suggested. Let me know if this is close to it. Thanks for the suggestion btw. I'm pretty happy with this actually if this was what you were thinking.

adam1234 wrote:Hello Gideon,

If it were my tree I would take it to a bonsai club or a workshop or some expert on deadwood carving and seek advice. I would carve it only with guidance from someone who would be present while doing it lest I get so excited that I am left with very little live tissue. There are brilliant examples of magnificent deadwood here in some threads. Have a look at Will Baddeley's work (https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t9765-will-baddeley-s-gallery?highlight=baddeley), especially on his elm and get an idea of what can be achieved by an expert. Good luck with your tree.

Adam

Thanks for the link! That carving really inspired me and gives me ideas on what I can do in the future.

What do you guys think of this general shape/outline of the deadwood. It follows the curves of the carved area on the base of the tree.